A Girl Called Joey
by IwriteUread
Summary: When Emma's friend Joey goes missing, Emma believes she is gone forever. But when Joey comes back two years later, Emma becomes determined to find out what happened during those 24 months... OC. Rated T for paranoia.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is my first ever Twilight story! I don't know what the Twilight fans are like compared to the Maximum Ride ones so I'm kinda scared (in a FUN way, though). I don't even know if there's such thing as a Twilight Own Character story… Well, there is now. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters. I also don't own anything remotely famous-sounding in this Fan Fic.**

**Claimer: I own the plot and my own characters. **

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Summer. It's meant to be fun right? Fun and _warm. _

Uh, try _no. _

'Why does it have to be so _cold?' _Annie moaned stuffing her hands deeper into her pockets.

'Annie, you're overreacting.' I said, 'Two degrees isn't _that _cold.'

Beside me, Joey snorted.

The three of us had spent the summer walking the streets of Vancouver, trying to escape from our families before the summer ended. Before we all started our freshmen year in High school.

'Emma,' Annie said. 'Two degrees isn't that cold for say, Alaska. Or Russia. Or _Antarctica. _But this is Washington in the middle of _August. _Two degrees is cold.'

And then, to prove her point, it started pouring with rain.

I scowled at Annie's satisfied little smirk as we ran to the nearest shop.

As we hid in the sports shop out of the rain, Joey said, 'Great. How do we get home now? Because I am _not _going out there again.'

Annie pulled her elbow length, strawberry-blonde hair out of its ponytail and shook her head, which basically means we all got wet.

'Ugh, Annie!' Joey snapped. 'Do you _mind?' _ Her light blue eyes narrowed as she scowled at Annie. Annie shrugged.

Joey tucked a strand of her light brown, chin length hair behind her ear. 'I don't think this is letting up.' She looked at me.

'Ring your dad.' She ordered.

'Aw c'mon Joey, it's not that bad…' I started, but Joey scowled at me. I sighed.

'Fine.'

***

'I thought I told you three to stop doing this.' Dad said as he pulled up outside the sports shop ten minutes later. I rolled my eyes at Annie. Joey sniggered.

'Well, I have to take you two home now anyway.' Dad said as Annie and Joey climbed into the back seat and me into the front of the Volvo. 'Joey, you mum's been looking for you for ages. She's rang everyone she knows.'

'Oh.' Joey mumbled, rolling her eyes. From the front, I distinctly heard her mutter 'Idiot.' under her breath.

'I did tell her I was going out.' She said out loud, sounding completely unconcerned.

'Apparently you didn't tell her what time you'd be back at. She kept going on about all the weird disappearances at the minute.'

'Oh. Them.' Joey muttered, looking at her feet.

Annie lent forward and whispered to me 'If anyone tried to kidnap Joey she'd knock their shit in.' I grinned.

We were outside Joey's house by now, and she sighed.

'See you on Monday.' She said to Annie and I. 'Thanks, Mr. Bell.' She got out of the car and walked up the driveway, pulling her hood lower over her face to keep the rain away. As we drove away, I dimly heard Joey's mom yell 'JOESPHINE!' and smiled.

***

When dad and I walked into the house forty minutes later, it was cold, and I was wet. Shivering, I hung my jacket on the radiator. Dad had switched on the TV and was sitting in his armchair.

'Five more tourists went missing today…' The news reporter said, and dad sighed.

'I'm going to my room.' I muttered, turning around and practically running out of the room so I wouldn't have to hear about the missing people. I walked into the hall and upstairs, but stopped on the landing, looking at the picture hanging on the wall.

It was the only picture in the house of me, mom and dad together. It was taken when I was about five years old, and it was the most recent we had of mom.

My mom went missing ten years ago, after going hiking with some friends. She just vanished, without a trace. There were police searches but finally they just gave up and concluded that she was gone. Vanished.

Without a trace.

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**Okay, I'm going to be honest here, and any reviewers can feel free to agree with me.**

**That chapter was crap. **

**But, it's the start of the story, and I promise you it will get better,**

**R&R**

**IwriteUread**


	2. Chapter 2

**I have an extremely valid excuse for my long absence! My PC (yes, I still have a PC. It's a family PC too, but don't judge me) has had a mental breakdown that has stopped me from doing anything that involves the internet. Sorry! Of course, as you may have guessed, it's fixed now :)**

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3rd person POV

_One week later…_

Annie took a deep breath, trying to summon up some non-existent courage, before walking through the front doors. She hadn't even properly started High school and already it was way worse than she had imagined. How could she have gone from being the oldest in the school to the youngest in a few short months? Already she was getting stares from the older students. _Oh look, there's one of the newbies…_

'Hi, are you looking for your classroom?' A voice behind her said.

Annie turned around. A tall, skinny girl with light brown, curly hair and freckles was looking at her.

'Um, yeah.' Annie said, blinking at the girl's confidence.

'You're in my class.' The girl said, pointing at the top of Annie's timetable, were her name and class were written across the top.

'I'm Daisy.' The girl said as she walked down the hall, followed by Annie. 'You're Annie right?'

_No, it only says that at the top of my timetable._

'Yeah.' Annie muttered, wondering if everyone was going to be as confident as this girl.

***

Joey was completely lost. She looked down at the timetable, biting her lip. The timetable said her form classroom was 13B. She still hadn't found that classroom.

'Hey, you need some help?' A voice that sounded like it was made from wind chimes said behind her.

Joey turned around, and swallowed a gasp with difficulty.

The most beautiful girl she had ever seen was standing in front of her, one hand on her hip. She was tall and slender, with pale skin, the colour of cream, and bright red hair, the colour of roses. Her eyes were a light brown colour, but when Joey moved her head slightly, her could have sworn she saw a flash of red.

'Uh, yeah.' She said, finding her voice at last. 'I'm looking for 13B?'

'Oh, I know where that is. I've been here a year already.' The girl said, turning and walking gracefully down the corridor.

'What's your name?' The girl said conversationally. Joey turned around.

'I'm talking to you, silly!' The girl said, laughing.

'Oh. Um, Joey.' Joey said, blushing.

'Joey. That short for anything?'

'Yes.'

There was a pause, and then the girl laughed again.

'Okay, go to the last room in this corridor, and that should be 13B.' The girl said, pointing down the corridor.

'Right. Thanks.' Joey said, smiling.

'When's your lunch?' The girl said suddenly.

Joey looked at her blankly. She sighed.

'Your lunch! What time is it at?'

'Oh, oh, right!' Joey looked down at her timetable, feeling like an idiot. 'One.'

'Well, meet me outside the library at that time.' The girl said. 'You know where _that _is, don't you?'

Joey nodded. 'But…why?'

The girl smiled and rolled her eyes. 'Because we're friends now, right?'

Joey blinked. This girl was older than her. She probably had tons of friends already. Why did she think Joey was so interesting?

Whatever, she wasn't complaining.

'Okay, sure.' Joey said, nodding but trying not to look desperate. The girl started walking away.

'Hey!' Joey yelled.

The girl turned around, eyebrows raised.

'What's _your_ name?' Joey said.

'Myra.' The girl smiled, showing pearl white teeth. 'Myra Stuart.'

***

Emma POV

I could see Joey through a gap in the crowds. She was walking behind a tall, pale girl with red hair. Just then, Joey spotted me. I waved and she waved back shyly. The girl in front of her turned around and spotted me. She bent closer to Joey and muttered something in her ear. Then she scowled, grabbed Joey's arm and pulled her away.

I blinked, puzzled by this sudden surge of unfriendliness.

'Hey.' A voice behind me said.

I turned around. A girl who I recognised from my calculus class was in front of me.

'I'm Ebonie.' She said. 'You're Emma, right?' Then without waiting for an answer, she said, 'Who's that girl you waved at?'

'That's Joey.' I said, thinking that Ebonie couldn't be a worse name for someone with blonde hair and light blue eyes.

'Is she friends with that Myra girl?'

'The one with the red hair?' I asked.

'Yeah.'

'I don't know. Why?'

'Well,' Ebonie said, lowering her voice, 'My sister Kamilla is in her class. Apparently there're some weird rumours about her.'

'Like what?' I asked, interested.

'Well, she's been to over ten High schools. And apparently, every girl she's ever been friends with has disappeared. Last year, she was friends with a girl called Lluvy Bones. She didn't make it to the summer term.'

I simply stared at Ebonie.

'And at her last school, two of her friends disappeared.' Ebonie whispered. 'They never found any trace of them.'

I swallowed. Those words brought back too many memories of my mom.

'But, there're just rumours, aren't they?' I said. 'Just people making stuff up.'

Ebonie shrugged. 'Even so, just tell your friend to be careful' And then she walked away.

I knew what Joey was like. If I told her the rumours, she'd tell me to butt out and mind my own business. I looked at the spot where Myra had been standing. What was the next rumour going to be? "Myra eats newborn puppies"? There was no way any of the rumours were true.

Was there?

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**I'm pretty sure that chapter was better than the first one.**

**R&R**

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	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update! I've been doing coursework and revision for my summer exams. Does anyone else really-hate-school?**

_Two months later…_

Two months went by. Two months of not speaking to Joey, not calling her, not going out with her and Annie. It was like she had been totally cut off from me and Annie, only having time for Myra.

_What does Myra see in Joey anyway, _I thought, feeling slightly guilty, _she's nothing special. _

More rumours had been flying around about how many of Myra's 'friends' had gone missing. There were even rumours about how Joey would be the next to go. Joey gave no sign of caring or even listening about the rumours. It was almost as though she didn't even know about them.

In school, Myra seemed to be her only friend. I hadn't seen her with anyone else from our school. Only Myra.

So that's why I was more than surprised when Joey called me on Sunday in the middle of November. Dad had gone out bowling with a couple of friends, so I was completely alone.

'Emma?' She whispered down the phone, sounding almost like she was going to cry.

'Joey!' I said, a happy bubble swelling inside me. 'We haven't spoken in ages!'

'Well, yeah…' She whispered, her voice trailing off.

Silence.

'Is something wrong?' I asked, confused.

'I need your help.' She finally said. 'Can I come over?'

I blinked. 'Yeah, sure! Come over right away!'

'Thanks, Emma.' She said.

Then the line went dead.

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang. I nearly killed myself running for it, tripping over my schoolbag. I opened the door wide. Joey was standing on the porch, wearing a jumper with a hood which was pulled over her head. I frowned. It wasn't even raining, for once.

'Hey, Joey.' I said, moving so I could let her in.

'Hi.' She said lamely, gripping the edges of her hood.

I narrowed my eyes. 'Something wrong?'

'Oh Emma, I've done something really stupid.'

'Whatever it is, I'm sure it isn't all that bad.' I said, smiling.

'Want a bet?' She said. Then she pulled down her hood.

'Oh my God, _Joey!_'

Joey's normally light brown hair was a dark shade of purple, almost black. But something had gone wrong, and you could still see the brown roots.

'Joey, you _idiot! _What did you do, dunk your whole head in it?'

'I thought it would look nice.' She said lamely, looking at her feet.

'Come on,' I said, grabbing her arm. 'I think there's some hair dye in the bathroom cupboard.'

We walked into the tiny bathroom, and I started going through cupboards while Joey perched on the end of the bath, running her hands self-consciously through her ruined hair.

'Okay, here we go.' I said, finally finding some brown hair dye. 'It's chestnut brown, so it won't cover up the black completely. Most likely you'll have some sort of black highlights through it.'

Joey whimpered.

I got her to sit on the floor while I sat on the edge of the bath. While I splashed the hair dye onto her head, I asked her, 'So, why the sudden urge to look like a clown?'

'I…Just fancied a change.' She murmured, staring at her hands.

'Why?' I asked, laughing, 'Is there some guy in your class who has a thing for circus acts?'

She smiled. 'Kind of.'

'Well, when this is dry we can watch a movie or something.' I said. 'Maybe we could get Annie up…'

'Emma! Emma, stop!' She yelled, interrupting me.

'What?' I asked.

'I'm…Going out with Myra after this.' She muttered, staring at her lap again.

My hands clenched in dislike around her hair.

'Ow, you're hurting me.' She said, grabbing my hand.

'Sorry.' I said, letting go. 'Maybe Annie and I could come too?'

'Um, no, I don't think you can.' She said.

'Why not?' I snapped, scowling.

'Because we're going into the forest and we're meeting some of her friends.'

'Who?' I asked.

'Victor and Arthur.' She said.

'Okay. I don't know them. Do they go to our school?'

'No, they're eighteen.'

I felt my happy bubble disappear with a pop.

'No, Joey, that's out of order.' I said.

'It's really none of your business.' She said, turning round and glaring at me.

'Oh yeah, it's none of my business. It's none of my business if my best friend goes into a bloody _forest _with two eighteen year old _guys. _Honestly, sometimes you're too thick for words!' I spat, anger bubbling inside. This was Myra's fault, completely. And not only because it was too hard blaming Joey.

'Thanks!' Joey yelled, 'And you're right. It's still _none of your business.' _

'Fine then!' I shouted. 'It's just going to be hard not being able to say _I told you so _when the cops find you murdered in a ditch!'

Joey stood up, her blues eyes blazing. 'Thanks for the dye job, Emma. You were a great help.'

'No problem.' I snapped. 'Now can you please _leave?_'

'As if I'd want to stay in this stink hole for another _second!_' She spat, then she marched out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

I stood in the hall, my fists clenched, breathing heavily. I could feel tears building my behind my eyes. I had never, never fought with Joey like that before. The tears spilled over and rolled down my cheeks.

Before I knew it I was curled up sobbing on the sofa, wondering if Joey was crying too.

I was woken by the sound of the house phone ringing. I woke up in my dark room, lying on the bed still in my clothes. Dad must have carried me up. I looked at my watch. 3:30am.

'Hello?' I heard dad say sleepily. 'Honestly, Janice, what bloody time do you call this?' Janice was the name of Joey's mother. I swallowed.

'What? Are you sure? Okay, I'll get her right now.' He said, sounding worried.

He ran into my room and saw me sitting up, turning on my bedroom light.

'Emma, it's Joey's mum.' He said, passing the phone to me.

I held it to my ear. 'Mrs. Montgomery?'

'Emma,' She said, sounding frantic, 'Joey's gone missing.'

**OoOoh, cliffy!**

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	4. Chapter 4

**I am so so so so SO sorry! I haven't updated in ages because of exams and writer's block! You're probably all sick of my absence. Well, here's an update, at least. **_

Ten minutes later dad's car pulled into Joey's street, heading to the forth house on the left. All through my life it had been like a second home, the place I would go when I'd had a fight with dad or locked myself out of the house.

The place that now had five police cruisers outside it, and a small group of people talking gently to a crying Mrs. Montgomery.

I fell in my hurry to get out of the car, scraping my knees, but scrambled to my feet and ran for Joey's house. When Mrs. Montgomery saw me, she pointed and said to the police, 'That's her!'

Two cops started walking towards me, holding small notebooks and staring.

When they were close enough one said, 'Are you Emma Bell?'

'Yes.' I managed to squeak.

'Well, we're going to need to ask you some questions. You were one of the people to see Josephine.'

I swallowed.

Dad came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. 'Are you sure there was no one else?'

'Yes, we're sure.' The other one said. She had her pen poised and was looking intently at me.

'What time did Joey arrive at your house?' She asked simply.

'Um, I don't know…' I said, feeling faint, 'Around eight-ish?'

'Why was she there? Were her and you planning to do anything tonight?'

'N-No.' I stammered. 'She needed some help, 'cause she died her hair the wrong colour… And she went to me.' Like a baby, I started crying.

'And then…' I sobbed, feeling only slightly embarrassed by all the people staring at me, 'And then we had a fight, because she said she was going into the forest with Myra…'

The cop's pens stopped on their pages, and one of them looked at me.

'She said she was going into the forest?'

I nodded.

'Well?' Janice, who had until then been quiet, yelled, 'That's where she is! You need to go looking for her!'

'Well, it's a big forest, m'am.' One of the officers said.

'I don't care!' Janice yelled, actually jabbing a finger into his chest, 'Get sniffer dogs, use heat radar, I don't care! But my little girl's in there, and _you're going to find her.' _

'There's a possibility the scent could have got lost in the rain.' The cop said, 'But we can try.'

He walked away and started talking to another officer, and then I noticed Joey's dad. He had divorced from Joey mum when she was ten, and then had moved to the edge of Montana with his girlfriend and her kids. Joey had often said that he'd probably forgotten Joey was even alive.

The fact that he had driven from Montana to Washington in one night showed how unbelievably wrong she was.

'Um, Emma?' He muttered. He was never a big one for conversation. 'I found this on the coffee table.' He held his hand out and pressed a piece of paper into mine.

'She says she's sorry.' He muttered.

This was too much for me. I staggered into her house and fainted there on her sofa.

At five thirty am, Annie, her mum, dad, older brother and younger sister arrived. When she saw me, Annie ran towards me, and then collapsed against me, sobbing. I was kinda shocked. Normally, when she was sad, Annie preferred to swear, punch something, hurt her hand on whatever she punched and then swear again. This was the weakest I'd ever seen her.

Annie's normally fun (okay, annoying) older brother Justin was oddly serious, standing in silence. Her little sister Tiffany still looked half asleep, sucking her thumb and stumbling when she walked.

'Oh Janice, I'm so sorry.' Annie mum said, hugging Janice.

'Joey was a lovely girl.' Annie's dad said solemnly.

Suddenly, an emotion new to everything I had felt so far entered me. It wasn't shock, it wasn't sadness.

It was _anger. _

'But Joey's not dead.' I blurted out.

'Emma…' Dad hissed at me.

'Well she's not!' I yelled. 'She's just lost or hurt or…'

Dad put a hand on my shoulder. 'I think it's time we went home, Emma.'

'No! I have to stay! I have to be here when she comes back!' I yelled, trying to stop dad from forcing me into the car. 'I have to…' My voice trailed off, and suddenly I was exhausted. I gave up and let dad push me into the car.

I didn't sleep at all, and I gave up and got out of bed just one hour after trying. Dad, however, slept until 8:30, and bounced into the kitchen like he'd got a full night rather than just five hours. Me? I could barely keep both my eyes open at the same time.

Dad took one look at me and said, 'Woah.'

I tried to say "What?" but it came out more, 'Whmph?'

'You look terrible.' Dad said.

'Thanks.'

'You need a day off.' He continued.

'No dad, it's fine, I can go in…' I started, but I didn't finish because of the glare dad was sending at me.

The next day, I walked into school, still feeling like death. Everyone was staring at me, because I was close to Joey. Everyone seemed to know that now.

Ebonie ran up to me. 'Emma! I'm so sorry about what happened to Joey.'

'Yeah, well…' I muttered.

'I mean, I wondered, when you weren't in yesterday,' Ebonie rambled on, 'if like, you were helping with the search or something, but then I thought that was just stupid because, like, Myra was in yesterday, and she was the last person to see Joey before…'

My brain went from sluggish to high alert in seconds.

'Myra was in yesterday?' I asked.

Ebonie nodded. 'Yeah. She seemed really… Hey, where are you going?' When she said that Myra was in school yesterday, I turned and almost ran down the corridor.

When I got to front reception, I tapped impatiently on the glass until one of the office people came.

'What?' She snapped, trying to make it seem like she was doing something uber-important, like filing her nails.

'What class is Myra Stuart in next?' I asked hurriedly.

She sighed and opened a window on the computer. I tapped my nails impatiently against the counter.

'With a U or with a W?' She asked, looking up.

'A U.' I snapped.

After a minute, she looked up and said, 'We have no records of that name.'

'What?' I snarled. 'Of course you do! I'll describe her. Tall, pale skin, brown eyes…'

The receptionist wasn't listening. She was rummaging around a filing cabinet. She pulled out a sheet of paper, read it, then walked over to me.

'Myra Stuart, seventeen, date of birth twenty-third of March…' She asked.

'That's the one.' I said.

'Yeah, she transferred yesterday.'

'Transferred!' I nearly yelled the word. 'To _where?_'

'No idea.' The receptionist said, sitting in a chair and pulling out a candy bar.

'GAHHH!' I yelled, and then I turned around and sprinted to the nearest restroom.

As I sat in sink, trying to calm down, I thought about three things:

1) Joey has went missing, Myra hasn't.

2) Myra transferred schools two days after Joey went missing.

3) One of Myra's friends in this school had already disappeared, Lluvy Bones.

It was official, Myra was connected to Joey going missing, and I was going to find out how.

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	5. Chapter 5

_2 years later…_

Two years went by with no change. The police never found any clues. Myra disappeared off the face of the planet.

Five months after the disappearance, the police announced Joey dead.

Everyone believed she was. Me too.

So you'll never believe the shock I got two years later, six days after Christmas.

I was lying across the sofa in our small living room, watching some crap games show on the TV. When the doorbell rang.

_Probably Aunt Marie delivering her annual late Christmas card, _I thought.

'Dad! Door!' I yelled towards the kitchen.

'God Emma, don't strain yourself or anything.' Dad said, walking down the hall.

I shrugged and turned my attention back to the TV.

Until I heard dad's yell.

'OH MY GOD, EMMA! IT'S JOEY!'

I started and blinked, wondering if I had heard him right. I literally tumbled off the sofa in my haste to get to the front door. I believed dad one hundred per cent. He would never play a joke that cruel…

I ran into the hall.

_There she was. _

Pause.

'Oh my God, JOEY!' I screeched, shoving dad out of the way and collapsing against her. I didn't realise I was sobbing until dad peeled me off her and handed me a tissue.

I looked at her, then did a double take.

Joey's clothes were ripped and covered in blood. Her hair was a tangled mess. She had huge dark circles under her eyes. But those weren't the only changes.

She was pale; really pale, almost ghostly. She had gotten taller and thinner. She was… beautiful, there was no other way to describe her. But her eyes scared me. Two years ago, they had been a warm blue. Now they were a dark, empty black.

'I'm going to call your mum.' Dad announced, and then walked out of the room.

'Joey,' I squeaked when he was gone, 'What happened to your eyes?'

'Huh?' She started and blinked. Even her voice had changed. It sounded almost like a song. 'Nothing.'

'Oh Joey.' I said, 'I'm so glad you're here.' I grasped her hand, and then released it in shock. It was freezing, as cold as ice.

'I'll get you a blanket or something.' I said, then left her standing in the hall.

When I came back, my eyes narrowed in surprise. Joey was sitting on the bottom stair, her eyes closed and a hand over her mouth.

'Joey?' I asked, confused. 'Are you okay?'

She opened her eyes, shuddered, and then took her hand away from her mouth. She managed a small smile. 'Yeah, I'm fine.' She said. 'I guess I'm just a bit… overwhelmed.'

'I know the feeling.' I said, grinning and throwing the blanket at her.

Then, the doorbell rang again.

I chose that moment to remember that I had invited Annie over tonight.

I looked at Joey. 'Brace yourself.'

For some reason, these words had an effect on Joey. She gave a huge jerk and a look of terror crossed her face.

I raised my eyebrows at her and then opened the front door.

'Hi, Emma.' Annie said. And that's when she saw Joey.

'J-Joey?' She stammered.

Joey nodded.

At first Annie looked confused. But then her face split into a wide grin.

'Oh JOEY! It's you!' She yelled, running in and pulling Joey into a hug.

Joey gave a small grin and gently but firmly pulled Annie off her.

I shared a look with Annie, who was back to looking confused.

'Joey, what…' Annie started. But then the doorbell rang.

I opened it and almost got ran over by Joey's mum and siblings. When they saw her, Janice literally _screamed, _Tiffany burst into tears and Justin leaned against the wall, looking pale.

There was a silence, and then Joey murmured softly 'Hi mum.'

'I called the police.' My dad said, joining us in the hall.

'Joey.' Justin said. 'Where have you _been?' _

Joey didn't say anything.

'Do you have any idea how worried we've been?' Janice said faintly.

'I don't want to talk about it.' Joey whispered.

'But Joey…'

'Mum, _leave it.' _Joey snarled, looking up and glaring.

'Don't talk to me like…'

'I DON'T CARE!' Joey suddenly yelled, leaping up from the stair and kicking the wall in anger. 'I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!'

We all stared.

'Please, mum.' Joey said, looking at Janice. 'I just want to go home.'

Joey's mum blinked, and then nodded silently. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

'Okay.' She said, sounding weak. 'C'mon kids.'

As Joey was walking out, she turned to me and Annie.

'Bye, Emma. Bye, Annie.' She muttered.

'Bye.' We said in unison.

When she had left, Annie looked at me and said, 'Wow.'

'Yeah.' I said, nodding, 'Joey comes back. What a plot twist.'

'She's changed.' Annie said. 'She's changed a lot.'

I nodded again. 'What do you think happened to her?'

'I don't know. All that blood…' Annie's voice trailed off, and I felt slightly nauseous.

We stood in silence. Then Annie said 'It doesn't matter. She's still the same person.'

I nodded. 'Still the same Joey.'

**Sorry about not updating. But it's summer, and the weather's been nice, for once. **

**R&R (please)**

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	6. Chapter 6

Joey became an instant celebrity in school. The first day she came in, about a week after she came back, it took people a few seconds to recognise her, Joey, the shy girl who had been Myra's pet.

The shy girl who was now one of the most popular people in the school. Her new porcelain skin, slender figure and beautiful features had the older students wanting to be her friend and boys she'd never even _looked _at, much less spoken to, stopping her in the corridors and pressing cell phone numbers into her hand. She never went out with or even rang any of them. Mostly she was quiet, withdrawn, preferring to talk to just Annie and me. She never ate, ever, no matter how much we begged her to. Not even a pack of potato chips or an apple. I eventually accepted my theory that maybe she just didn't like the cafeteria food. She never told us how she spent the two years she was gone. Everytime someone brought the subject up, even Annie and me, she would turn into a silent statue, staring straight ahead, pale face frozen, black eyes never blinking. So we didn't bring it up.

She told us plenty of stuff about Myra though. Joey told us that, "as far as she could remember", Myra had been some kind of orphan, on the run, without a decent home or family. Apparently, she got her friend, Victor to fill out the medical forms given by her many schools. And she _had _been friends with Lluvy. How many more girls had Myra been 'friends' with?

When I walked into biology on Thursday, the first thing I saw was Joey sitting at the back of the room, her head resting in her hands, her eyes and mouth both shut, not talking to anybody. She opened her eyes and saw me, smiled and motioned to the seat beside her.

I sat down. 'What are you doing here?' I whispered. Mr. Spence had a strict "no talking" rule.

'Extra tutoring.' She muttered. 'I'm a complete dunce at biology.'

'If Josephine and Emma will finish their conversation,' our teacher said, 'we will be doing the different blood types today.'

Next to me, Joey stiffened.

I looked at her, then raised my eyebrows. She looked completely terrified.

'I will hand out microscopes and pins.' The teacher continued. 'Spike your finger with the pin, _not _hard, then wipe it on the card. Please, no one bleed to death.'

As the class dissolved into talking, Joey grabbed my arms and swung me round to face her.

'Emma, I can't do this.' She whispered, looking frantic.

'What? But you've never had a fear of blood before.' Normally it was Joey who patched the person up, while Annie barfed in a corner.

'Seriously, I have to get out of here.' She whispered.

'OW!' Someone yelled, and I saw Jake, a tall, black haired guy looking at his finger, where a trickle of red liquid was running down.

Joey leapt up from her chair, a hand over her mouth. She ran towards the door, knocking over two people. The door slammed shut behind her.

'And then she just leapt up and ran for the door.' I said to Annie. We were sitting on her front porch, eating chocolate brownies her mum had made.

'But she's never been afraid of blood before.' Annie said. 'It was always me who collapsed or something….'

'And you know I didn't see her for the rest of the day?' I said.

'At all?'

I shrugged. 'Maybe she was sick after the blood. Unless she left the school.'

'Why would she do that?' Annie asked. 'It's just some blood.'

I laughed and gave her a shove. 'Says you.'

And then we were both laughing, but inside we knew we were both thinking about the same thing.

Joey.

**R&R?**

**IwriteUread**


	7. AN

**A Plea for Help:**

**I have Writer's Block. **

**I already have some ideas, like a sleepover gone badly wrong (OoOoh, ominous!) and Joey's point of view of halfway through chapter three.**

**Ideas and suggestions in the form of reviews or PM's are greatly appreciated. In the meantime, I will be working on a story on Fiction press. Don't know when you will next see me (whenever the writer's block's gone, probably).**

**Bye for now**

**Evie **


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